The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-04-06

Hf list; as it is, / have an honorable
discharge, after more than half n
dozen enlistments, and a pension
from the Government which Is sufficient
for my humble wants. My days of duty
and activity being over, the desire to tell
about what 1 have experienced comes quite
naturally to me, and as it has become
quite the fashion lately for military men of
high rank 10 put their memoirs IN print, it
NAV be that contribution from an old
cavalry sergeant would not come amss.
I propose to tell the story of n rather re-
markable adventure that i once had In
Northern Texas.
1t was shortly after the close of the Next
can war. / was ordered from Vera Cruz
TO New Orleans, and thence TO Galveston,
where | was directed TO report to Lieuten-
ant Wilson, at the barracks. | found there
sixty five soldiers, whom l was ordered to
drill in the cavalry tactics, mounted and
dismounted. They were strange lot, in
deed. Half of them were raw recruits
who had never mounted a horse or handled
a carbine and who had been stopped at
this point on their way TO the front by the
news of the armlstice. They had been
mainly picked up by the recruiting officers
in the cities, and after looking them over. /
concluded that they were not likely to be
of great value to the army. The other half
of the detachment was still worse, To speak
plainly, they were shirks, deserters. and
malingerers, whose records of unfaithtul
service and punishment had been sent here
with them. And it was this set of fellows
that the Lieutenant informed me / was eX-
pected to put into shape with all speed for
some kind of important service. / was too
old soldier to grumble, and | went Mt the
distasteful duty with as much zeal a. was
possible. In a month l was able to report
TO the Lieutenant that the detachment was
tolerably schooled; and after inspecting 1t
and witnessing one of my drills, he said
that he thought he might report it tit for
duty.
Our orders came ten days later. TIE
men were merely told to be ready to move
at q moments notice; but to me the Lieu
tenant impaired the instructions he had
received-or part of them. We were TO
embark on a steamboat large enough 10
transport the whole detachment, horses and
all, three large army wagons, and an am
bulance. Entering the Brazos River lit
being the spring of the year, and high
water, we were to ascend 1t some three
hundred miles, to the head of navigation,
then djsembark, and take the route for a
fort which was situated we'll up toward the
Indian Territory.
ITO take them supplies, sir, l suppose"
j remarked to the Lieutenant. He said
'"Yes;" but he said it in such a way as 10
make me surmise that this was not the
whole object of the long journey. OF
course, / wanted to know all about it; but
@ proper military subordination told me TO
hold my tongue, and wait till the time came
for me to know.
1t came soon enough
The day before we embarked on the
steamer the Lieutenant had a final muster
and inspection of his command. The men
had received new uniforms, and looked
very smart as they were drawn up in line.
After inspection, the Lieutenant made them
a little speech. He was very hand
some officer. Lieutenant George Wilson,
about thirty years old, and as straight as an
arrow. He had not served in Mexico, but
he had seen great deal of Indian tiuhting.
which | supposed to be the reason that he
was assigned to command this expedition.
He told the men that they were going to
guard a convoy of supplies and stores to a
fort near the north line of the State. He
did not expect that the duty would be either
perilous or fatiguing; but if il proved TO be
both, 1t must be done with the utmost hdel-
ity. Ee knew the country and understood
his orders. and everything possible would
be done for the comfort and safety of the
command; but one thing he should lie
quire-absolute, unquestioning obedience
that some of the men came TO him with bad
records. He would promise them that they
should be treated as we'll as the others; and
he hoped and expected that they would
embrace this opportunity to make new
beginning, and try to make soldiers of
themselves.
When the ranks were broken rs / walked
across the barrack- yard, overheard few
words exchanged between two OF the men.
One was a Swede, almost a giant in size
and strength. whose record was one of the
worst o: the lot; the other was recruit, n
native Texan, who, l was told, had been
lately in the penitentiary.
"What dye think of him?" asked the lat
ter.
Bah" replied the other, swapping his
fngsrs contemptuously. :" That for him!
I've made bigger men than he look white.